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England's legendary former striker, Gary Lineker, has apologized to Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, acknowledging he was wrong to cast doubt on the player’s consistency.
The apology came as fellow pundit Alan Shearer criticized Premier League clubs, particularly Chelsea, for overlooking Osimhen despite his prolific record.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker admitted that he had repeated unverified rumors suggesting Osimhen occasionally disappeared during matches. "I remember I intimated that perhaps he—I heard a rumour that he goes missing sometimes, and I believe that is actually completely not the case," Lineker said. "I’m sorry about that. You shouldn’t spout rumours on these things. My bad, my bad on that."
Shearer expressed surprise that English clubs failed to pursue Osimhen more aggressively, especially given the high sums paid for other forwards. He noted that Chelsea spent £90 million ($121.29 million) on Joao Pedro, signed from Brighton for £60 million, and Liam Delap, who cost £30 million from Ipswich but has since been sidelined with injury.
"Whether it was anything to do with salary, whether it’s agent fees or whatever, Galatasaray, they broke their record for him. I mean, they paid what, €75 million ($88.06 million) I think for him, which is £60 million," Shearer said. "When you think in the grand scheme of things, with what’s being paid for other strikers, with his record—I mean his record is fantastic. I was surprised."
Osimhen joined Galatasaray on loan from Napoli last season after disagreements with the Italian club. He quickly became the team’s focal point, scoring a record 37 goals in all competitions. Following that performance, the Turkish club made his move permanent for €75 million, their most expensive signing to date.
Since the start of the current campaign, the 25-year-old forward has continued his form with three goals in five matches, including the decisive strike in Galatasaray’s Champions League win over Liverpool.
Lineker added that his own impression of Osimhen has since changed. "I saw him play against Leicester in the competition a few years ago, in Europe, and he was exceptional. You really get a feel for somebody when you’re in a stadium. He’s quick, he’s tall, he’s a good finisher, he’s brilliant in the air, he’s a hell of a player."
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